DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University cross country team heads to the Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City for the second time this season to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship, Friday. The race will begin at 11 a.m. CST.

NIU will be one of 37 teams competing for the Midwest Regional Championship title. The Huskies, who are ranked eighth in the region, have successfully out raced eight of the top-15 teams competing including No. 4 Missouri and No. 6 Oklahoma this season.

The pack of Huskies are going into the race with the most record against own region wins beating out No. 1 Iowa State who have won four of the past five Midwest Regional Championships. NIU's 2014 school-record regional finish of 23rd place puts into perspective how far this team has come in the past two years. Being ranked going into the regional championship was a goal for the Huskies from the beginning of the season that has now been accomplished.

"We're having a historic fall, and it'll only mark the beginning to a championship tradition being built here in DeKalb Illinois," said NIU Head Coach Adrian Myers. "We are not done yet, hopefully far from it. We are hoping to break into the top-7 this weekend at regionals."

Senior Hope Schmelzle (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) and junior Kelsey Hildreth (Byron, Ill./Byron) are expected to lead the Huskies as they did in the Mid-American Conference Championship two weeks ago.

"Hope Schmelzle has lead the team every weekend this fall, which included two individual titles at the Country Financial Invitational, and last time she was on this course at NCAA Midwest Regional Preview at Iowa," said Myers. "I expect to see her and Kelsey contend in the top 10 of this race."
 
Sophomore Ericka Hibser (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown) and senior Ali Olson (New Auburn, Wis./Bloomer) finished third and fourth respectively for the Huskies at the MAC Championships. Coach Myers is expecting a similar result from the pair, and has faith in the rest of the team to fight for the fifth scoring position.
 
"This team has put in the work," said Myers. "Now, it's time to be brave and execute a strong race from start to finish. You have to do those things to survive in this region which has produced numerous NCAA national titles and All-Americans. The Midwest region is a bloodbath, but we've prepared for that. I'm very proud of the ladies and what they've accomplished so far."
 
Fans can find information about the race on HawkeyeSports.com on the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship Central page or by following live results by clicking here.
 
-NIU-